CTR vs CVR: What's the Difference?

CTR (Click-Through Rate) is clicks divided by impressions - the percentage of people who saw an ad, search result, or listing and clicked it. It measures how compelling the ad or headline is at getting attention.

CVR (Conversion Rate) is conversions divided by clicks (or sessions) - the percentage of people who took the desired action once they actually landed on the page. It measures whether what they clicked into delivers on what the click promised.

The two metrics diagnose different problems, and confusing them leads to the wrong fix. A high CTR paired with a low CVR usually means the ad or headline is over-promising, or attracting the wrong audience, relative to what the landing page actually delivers - the fix is on the page or the targeting, not the ad copy. A low CTR with a high CVR among the people who do click can mean the offer is genuinely strong but poorly communicated upfront - the fix there is closer to the ad itself. Reading CTR and CVR together, rather than optimising either one alone, is what actually points at where the real problem sits in the funnel.